New Sage user, setup on WHS

[Dezz]

Hi folks, I'm new around these parts. Nice to make your acquaintance! Knowing my fondness for finding glitches I suspect we will be great friends. I look forward to adding you all to my christmas card list!

Been spending a few days at this so far and am unable to make any real progress with getting Sage setup to run as a server on WHS. The root issue being I am unable to get any video whatsoever for Live TV.

What I have configured is:

WHS with Sage TV obviously. The server portion is fine. I can connect to it with clients and stream static media fine, mpeg, mkv's etc. What I can't do is get any audio or video for live TV. Bell Expressvu Satellite.

I am using the Hauppauge HD PVR and this may be the crux of the matter. I got it to install ok but when trying to setup a video source in Sage and doing the video test it fails with the default audio error that it was unable to render the audio portion. I tried all 4 settings, Basic, advanced etc, no dice. I also still get this error even if I just pick "component" instead of component+SDPIF. A few short questions surrounding this.

1: Should Sage in WHS be able to play the satellite feed which I presume is mpeg 2 without any additional codecs or players installed? I want to know where exactly I need to focus my efforts on resolution. If it's normal for Sage in WHS to not be able to play it then that just adds to the problem.

2: I currently don't have an audio card installed in the WHS server but should that even matter, especially if I select a config that does not include audio? Obviously I need it but just trying to crawl before I walk. Also I did have audio previously. I just ripped out the ATI 4550 after I was advised the server wasn't going to be the one doing the decoding which brings me to..

3: Just to confirm, does the video card on the server doing any decoding, processing of the stream? If my intention is to use WHS and extenders did I need the video card at all?

4: Is it possible a client can stream the live TV feed even though it doesn't work on the server?

It is suggested to test the TV card with the software it came with if it fails in Sage. Well I tried in both Vidcap32 and TME recorder and in both it just freezes. It appears TME isn't WHS friendly but my understanding is I don't need it anyway on the server. That being said I can't seem to be able to determine if my Sage issue is the Hauppauge card itself or Sage. I did installed the PVR and Sage on my laptop and it worked perfectly (as perfect as you could expect with a 5 year old laptop) so I know the hardware is bug free.

Any help would be appreciated. I am commited to making this work. I already have most of my DVD's ripped to HDD as well as all our music and Pictures configured in Sage. I just need to get this TV portion working before I "go live" and finish the investment ala extenders etc.

[gplasky]

My recoomendation is don't try using the WHS as the playback machine, use a client. If you're using the PC client then make sure to install TME on your client machine so yoiu have the decoders installed to playback the video and audio from the HD-PVR. If you're crawling bwefore you're walking then use the RCA analog audio connections before doing anything with SPDIF. ANd make sure you don't have both sets of cables (analog and SPDIF) connected at the same time. It is one or the other. If you're using HD Extenders it should just work. And yes-a client can stream the the live TV even if it doesn't work on the server. (Depending on why it doesn't work. If the tuner is recording and it is just playback not working on the server the client can still work.) I happen to have TME installed on my WHS and I can record with it fine. I don't have speakers on it so I don't know if it is getting the audio but it definitely doesn't freeze. But I alos installed DirectX on my WHS. (Along with the WIiows Media Player for other reasons)

Gerry

Gerry

[Dezz]

I reinstalled my audio and connected via L+R audio and disconnected the digital and same deal on the server, audio rendering error. From the client I actually get a video rendering error. Also worth noting is that I have the passthrough connected for video and I get a perfect picture on the TV via the passthrough.

As mentioned I installed this on XP as stand alone and it was literally next, next, next and it worked, tis a tad frustrating when I'm not entirely sure what the problem is exactly as I am unable to test the PVR in WHS outside of Sage.

Maybe I can look for 3rd party capture software or something.

[gplasky]

You don't actually say what client you're using. If it is a PC client with SageTV PC Client software make sure you have the appropriare decoder installed (YME) and chosen (Arcsoft h.264 Video Decoder chosen in Detailed Setup. If it is a HD Extender then unplug the extender from the AC cord and start it up again and try it. Also make sure you try all of this off a fresh reboot of the server.

Gerry

[wayner]

Dezz - I always get this audio rendering error when trying to playback any video on my WHS Sage server - even stuff captured with simpler capture cards (PVR-15) in SD that only need an MPEG-2 codec. You have to use a client to play back the files, not WHS.